River ecosystem echoes threat on World Rivers Day at Angul

| September 27, 2016 12:32 am

The World Rivers Day was observed here on Sunday by Nature Environment and Wildlife Society (NEWS), an NGO. Several environmentalists and animal lovers took part in a workshop here organised to mark the occasion. The director of Odisha Forest Rangers’ College Ananda Kumar Pravakar inaugurated the workshop.

He highlighted need for conservation of river and the sustainable use of river resources for an ecological balance of future generations. Pradipta Mohapatra,divisional forest officer (kenduleaf),Angul emphasised on the river ecosystem and its importance in terms of providing a proper livelihood to people.

The Odisha Nadi Surakshya Samukshya Convener Tapan Padhy explained how rivers play a critical role in human life. “World Rivers Day is a global celebration of the world&’s waterways,observed on the last Sunday of September. It highlights the values of rivers and strives to increase public awareness while encouraging the improved stewardship of rivers around the world,” said NEWS secretary, Prasanna Kumar Behera. Social activists Sushil Kumar Pradhan, Naba Kishore Bisoi raised a concern that how the situation of rivers is deteriorating day by day.

The construction of dams, hydropower projects, establishment of factories and industries, causing pollution and encroachments into metropolitan cities are destroying the ecosystem of rivers, they said.